Booking Terms & Conditions

Simply Bhutan
P.O. Box 489, Thimphu 11001, Bhutan
bhutan@simplybhutan.com
www.simplybhutan.com

These Terms apply to enquiries, quotations, itinerary proposals and confirmed bookings made with us through our website, email, phone, WhatsApp or other agreed channels.

A binding contract between you and us comes into existence when:

• we send you written confirmation of your booking; and
• we receive any deposit or payment due at that stage.

The person making the booking must be at least 18 years old and must have the authority to accept these Terms on behalf of all travellers included in the booking.

By making a booking, the lead booker confirms that they accept these Terms on behalf of all travellers named in the booking.

Before a booking is confirmed, we may provide itinerary ideas, quotations, availability checks and provisional reservations. These do not create a binding contract until we issue written confirmation and receive the required payment.

We reserve the right to decline any booking before confirmation.

To confirm your booking, you must pay the deposit amount stated in your quotation or booking confirmation, unless we agree otherwise in writing.

The balance must be paid no later than four weeks before departure, unless a different date is stated in your booking confirmation.

For bookings made within four weeks of departure, full payment may be required at the time of booking.

If payment is not received by the due date, we may treat the booking as cancelled by you and apply the cancellation charges set out below.

All prices are quoted in GBP or USD, as stated in your quotation or booking confirmation, unless otherwise stated.

Prices are based on the costs, taxes, exchange rates, transport charges, accommodation rates, permits and other charges known to us at the time of quotation.

Unless expressly stated, prices do not include:

• international flights;
• travel insurance;
• personal expenses;
• drinks and meals not specifically listed;
• tips and gratuities; and
• any item not expressly included in your booking confirmation.

We reserve the right to correct pricing errors at any time before your booking is confirmed.

If, after confirmation, there is a genuine increase in government charges, taxes, transport costs, exchange rates, permit costs or other unavoidable external costs directly affecting your trip, we reserve the right to make a reasonable price adjustment. If we do so, we will notify you in writing as soon as reasonably possible.

Where mandatory law gives you rights in relation to a significant price increase or a major change, those rights will apply.

Your booking confirmation and final itinerary will set out what is included in your trip.

This may include, where expressly stated:

• accommodation;
• meals;
• airport transfers in Bhutan;
• ground transport;
• guiding services;
• entrance fees listed in your booking confirmation;
• permits;
• internal flights, where agreed; and
• any other services expressly listed in your booking confirmation.

Only the services expressly listed in your booking confirmation are included in your booking.

If you have any special requests, including dietary requirements, room preferences, mobility needs or medical considerations, you must tell us at the time of booking.

We will try to accommodate reasonable requests, but unless we confirm otherwise in writing, special requests are not guaranteed and do not form part of the contract.

Some of our itineraries involve walking, hiking, altitude, uneven terrain, remote travel or other physical demands.

It is your responsibility to ensure that:

• you are medically and physically fit for the trip booked;
• you seek appropriate medical advice before travel where necessary; and
• you tell us before booking about any condition or requirement that may affect your travel arrangements.

We reserve the right to decline or cancel a booking where we reasonably believe that the trip is not suitable for a traveller's health, safety or wellbeing, or where we cannot reasonably accommodate specific needs.

Comprehensive travel insurance is strongly recommended and may be required for certain trips.

Your policy should ideally cover:

• cancellation;
• medical expenses;
• evacuation or repatriation;
• personal belongings;
• travel disruption; and
• activities included in your itinerary.

It is your responsibility to ensure that your insurance is suitable for your trip.

You are responsible for ensuring that all travellers have:

• valid passports;
• valid visas and permits, where required;
• vaccination or health documentation, where applicable; and
• any other required travel documents.

We may assist with Bhutan visa arrangements where applicable, but it remains your responsibility to check the latest requirements with the relevant embassy, consulate, airline or authority before travel.

We are not liable for losses arising from incomplete, invalid or missing travel documents.

If you wish to change your booking after confirmation, we will try to assist, but changes are subject to availability and may not be possible.

Where a change is possible, we may charge:

• a reasonable administration fee; and
• any additional costs imposed by hotels, airlines, local operators, transport providers or government authorities.

Certain travel arrangements may be non-changeable and non-refundable once confirmed.

If you cancel your booking, the cancellation must be made in writing by email from the lead booker.

Cancellation charges will apply as follows:

• more than 45 days before departure: loss of deposit only;
• 31 to 45 days before departure: 25% of total booking price;
• 15 to 30 days before departure: 50% of total booking price;
• 0 to 14 days before departure: 100% of total booking price.

If the amounts we have irreversibly paid to suppliers or the costs we have irrecoverably incurred exceed the scale above, we reserve the right to charge the higher amount actually lost, where permitted by applicable law.

Any refund due will be paid after deduction of the applicable cancellation charges, unrecoverable third-party costs, and any non-refundable permit, visa, ticketing or supplier charges.

Where mandatory consumer law gives you cancellation or refund rights in specified circumstances, those rights will apply.

We may occasionally need to change or cancel a trip due to operational, safety, weather, supplier, government or other reasons.

We are not liable for failure to perform, delay or changes caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to:

• natural disasters;
• severe weather;
• landslides;
• flooding;
• epidemics or pandemics;
• war or threat of war;
• civil unrest;
• strikes;
• government restrictions;
• border closures;
• transport disruption; or
• decisions of public authorities.

In such cases, we will use reasonable efforts to offer suitable alternatives or rearrangements, but additional costs may be payable by you where unavoidable.

We will use reasonable skill and care in arranging and providing the travel services we have agreed to supply.

Where we provide a package or combined itinerary, we are responsible for the travel services forming part of that booking, subject to these Terms and any mandatory law that applies.

We are not liable for:

• services not forming part of the agreed booking;
• acts or omissions of the traveller;
• acts or omissions of unrelated third parties;
• events that could not have been foreseen or avoided despite reasonable care; or
• unavoidable circumstances beyond our reasonable control.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability for:

• death or personal injury caused by our negligence;
• fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or
• any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

We work with hotels, guides, transport companies, activity providers and other local suppliers.

These suppliers may have their own terms and operational rules. By participating in the trip, you agree to comply with reasonable instructions and safety requirements issued by us or by the relevant suppliers.

You are responsible for your conduct and for complying with local laws, customs, cultural expectations and safety instructions.

We or our suppliers may refuse to continue providing services to any traveller whose behaviour is, in our reasonable opinion:

• dangerous;
• abusive;
• disruptive;
• unlawful; or
• likely to cause distress, damage, delay or risk to others.

In such circumstances, no refund will be due and we will not be responsible for any resulting costs.

If you encounter a problem during your trip, you must notify us as soon as possible so that we have a reasonable opportunity to put things right.

If a complaint is not raised during the trip, this may affect our ability to investigate it properly later.

Any complaint not resolved during travel should be sent to us in writing within 28 days of the end of the trip.

We may occasionally use photographs or videos taken during trips for promotional purposes, but only where lawful and appropriate.

If you do not want your image used, please let us know in writing before travel or at any time during the trip.

We process personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy, available on our website.

By making a booking, you agree that we may use and share personal data as reasonably necessary to arrange and deliver your travel services.

We try to ensure that all information on our website is accurate and up to date. However:

• itineraries are illustrative unless confirmed;
• accommodation and experiences are subject to availability;
• photographs are representative only; and
• descriptions may change from time to time.

All content on our website, including text, branding, logos, images, itineraries and design, belongs to us or is used under licence.

You may not reproduce, copy, distribute or commercially use our content without our prior written permission.

These Terms and any dispute arising out of or in connection with them shall be governed by the laws of the Kingdom of Bhutan, except that nothing in these Terms deprives consumers of any mandatory rights or protections that apply under the law of their country of residence where such rights cannot lawfully be excluded.

The courts of Bhutan shall have jurisdiction, subject to any mandatory rights of consumers under applicable law.

Because our travel services are typically supplied for specific dates or periods, a general cooling-off period may not apply once a booking has been confirmed, where an exemption applies under consumer law.

If any part of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining parts will continue in full force and effect.

If you have any questions about these Terms or your booking, please contact:

Simply Bhutan
P.O. Box 489, Thimphu 11001, Bhutan
Contact us or email bhutan@simplybhutan.com